Various theories suggest that ships had visited New Zealand prior to the first officially recognised European visit of Abel Tasman in December 1642. While some of these theories are nothing more than mere speculation, there is also some recorded oral histories of the Maori that deserve further investigation.

Told to Cook by Tairooa – Feb 1777

He said the Captain during his Stay kept a Woman of the Country and she had a son by him which was about the age of Coaa and now living. He also told us that it was by this ship that the venereal disease came first amongst them, which is now but too common, tho they do not seem regard it and tell us that its effects is not near so bad now as it was at first…
… I regretted much that we did not hear of this Ship while we were in the Sound, as by means of Omai we might have had a full or better account of her from people who had seen her, for Tairooa’s account was only from what he had been told and therefore lyable to many Mistakes. However, I have no doubt but he was right so far as a Ship having been at Terrawhite (Wellington), as it corresponds what we were told when I was here in the latter end of 1773… (The voyages of Captain James Cook, Volume 3 Part One, James Cook, Edited by J.C. Beaglehole, 1967, p.74)